Ann Banks is a journalist and writer living in New York. She is founder of the website Confederates in My Closet, where she writes about race, history and her family. She has written for many publications, including Smithsonian,The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, The Atlantic Monthly, the Washington Post, The Nation, and USA Today, where she served as a member of the Board of Contributors. Selections of her essays may be found at right and at annbanks.com. Her travel writing has appeared in Conde Nast Traveler, Vogue, Arthur Frommer Budget Travel, The New York Times, Vogue, and Parents. She also has published eight books for children.